Liquid dispensing device



Aug. 18, 1953 T. mus

LIQUID DISPENSING DEVICE Filed March '7, 1947 Hm l Patented Aug. 18, 1953 LIQUID DISPENSING DEVICE Thomas ,L. Titus, Cheyenne, Wyo., assignor to .Wyott ,Manufacturing Co, Inc a corporation of Wyom g .ApplicationMarch-l, 1947, SerialNo. 733,072

9 Claims. (GI. 251-132) 1 This invention relates to improvements in liquid dispensing devices.

It is a principal object-of this invention to pro-- vide an improved single diaphragm valve combination for .dispensingliquids.

Another object of thisinventionis to'provide adjustable flow control and locking means for such a valve.

Further objects willbe evident from the details of construction and combination of elements herein detailed and exp1ained,in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrative'of several preferred embodiments of my invention.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a vertical section of my preferred T-shaped diaphragm valve embodiment, in fully closed position;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional viewof the embodiment of Figure l, but withthe diaphragm valve in open position;

Throughout the drawings like numbers have been used to designate like or;similarparts.

Referring to Figures land 2 numeral l designates a socket,-f0r fastenin to asourceof liquid or tank, and it is suitably fastened to a cupshaped valve chamber ll having a rabbet seat i 2 outwardly of itsperipheral edge, a nd anouter flange 63 extending beyond"therabbetseat. The 'rabbet seat is designedto receivethe peripheral edge of the cross bar portionof the T-lshaped diaphragm thereon. Abell-shapedbody I5 provides the plunger housing, and has an outer flared spring-tensioned peripheral edge 14 adapted to be pressed onand in'the rabbetseat lzagainst the-cross-bar portion of'the T diaphragm, with that portion of the diaphragmbetween lzand-l i. A washer-clamp-rnember I6 is placed over the belllmemberlt and 'is-removably secured in :socket relationship down over the flange .58. A plurality-of spaced slots are formed in the outeredgeof flange ;l-8, above rabbet seat t2, and clamp IBis provided with the same plurality and spaced inwardly extending fingers l1 adaptedtomeshthrough the slots of IS. Clamp l6-is designed so that'it will exert downward springing pressure on portion J4 of the bell body, afterthe;fingers of;l'6 havepasse'd through the slots vof ill! and then the washer clamp IE is turned so those fingersmare;heldunder said flange, therebybinding thecross bar portion of the reshaped diaphragm securely between l iand 12. .Any other suitable means of removably spring-clamping the: bell; 01 the diaphragmacross and. as part of ,1 the ,;chamber 3 l I may be used. The cross-bar or top portion of leg portion of the T-shaped diaphragm it.

2 the IT-shaped diaphragm 451, so clampingly held as one wall of the chamber, is designated as 13. It will be apparent that disassembly of the one clamp washer It will permit access to the in- .terior of my valve, and that simplicity of construction is one of the novel features of my invention. A plunger i9 is provided in the bell housing for slidable operation therein, with an upper leg portion thereof extending upwardly througha hole in the top of the bell it, and with acentral piston-like or plunger part adapted for longitudinal guidance relationship in the tubular upper part of the bell. Plunger is has a lower reduced leg portion 4! adapted to be tensionallyencasedvby the elastic qualities of plastic 40 has a central longitudinal recess adapted for that purpose. The lower end or" the lower leg portion it, of the diaphragm is vertically crosssectionally formed convexed in contour in upward direction, or concave in downward direction, as illustrated at 63, and that portion is formed of a larger diameter than the diameter of outlet 2E. The lower peripheral edge 33, of

the diaphragm ill, is adapted to be pressure seated against the bottom of the valve chamber .1 I, over-and around the juncture point &2 of the outlet pipe 2! therewith, and a most efiectual seal thereagainst is created by the spring actuated tension causin the concave portion to spread or make a squeegee sealing or valve contact at that point, as will be explained. That valve seal is broken or operatively opened, by a raising of theplunger against the spring tension, .as will be explained. The outlet tube 2i is secured flush with the floor of the chamber, as by soldering. A screw stud bolt 24, extending through a washer 25, and then through an enlargedopeningin a hollow vertically cross-sectionally. U-shaped knuckle 26, is screw threaded into the top leg portion of the plunger l9 after a suitablecoil spring 30 is first inserted around that leg portion within the bell housing and compressed, as illustrated. Spring 39 is designed to normally exert pressure downwardly of the plunger H], to thereby normally hold the lower edge43 of the diaphragm 4t lower leg portion in valve sealing or closed squeegee position, as illustrated inFigure 1, thereby preventin liquid from inlet It in chamber II from escaping out outlet 2|. A suitable handle 3i,,as illustrated, is screwithreaded-down into the knuckle 25 so that therezis a clearance between the bottom oft-that handle-and. the top of the stud screw 26, for reason to be explained. To operate, or open,

my valve the handle is rocked on its base, thereby, as illustrated in Figure 2, causing a lifting of plunger 59, by means of stud screw head 24 and washer 25, in the conventional manner, which in turn raises the central portion of flexible T-shaped washer 30 with it, since 40 clings to it as a unit, and thereby raises lower peripheral concave portion 43 out of its sealed relationship with the chamber fioor, for permitting liquid to flow from the inlet pipe under the diaphragm top or so-called cross-bar washer-like portion [3 and around the leg portion Q and out below lower edge 43 of the diaphragm. It will be noted that liquid will escape only so long as the operator holds the handle in rocked position against the spring tension. When the operator releases the handle the spring will automatically and. immediately raise the handle to the vertical position and therewith lower the plunger into valve sealing relationship. A threaded hole 18 is provided in the under central inner portion of the handle 3!, adapted for receiving an adjustable stud flow control screw bolt Tl therein, having a head 79. To lessen the quantity or flow of the liquid capable of being discharged by the valve diaphragm I3, from that of full flowing capacity illustrated in Figure 2, the handle 3| is removed from its knuckle 26 by unscrewing, and then the stud l? is slightly unscrewed in its seat the required longitudinal distance so that the head of Ti will act as a desired stop means for limiting the are or amount of rockable handle movement possible, and thereby limiting the possible upward thrust or plunger movement of plunger 19. The top of stud screw 28 will abut against such adjusted or lowered stud screw head 21 position, upon replacement and operation of the handle, with that flow control screw 'il so adjusted, as will be understood. It is to be further noted that this combination of rockable hollow handle, with flow control means, stud screw '11 therein, also constitutes operable valve locking means. Stud screw 11 can be adjusted, by a sufiicient unscrewing, and if desired, in cooperation with a flat headed bolt 24 instead of a round headed one, so that the entire distanceor gap 36 between studs H and 24, when the handle is in closed valve position, is closed, or so that the two studs rest firmly against each other, as illustrated in dotted lines in Figure 1, in which adjustment the said stud Tl comprises, in cooperation with the other stud 24, valve locking means. It will be apparent, in the position last explained, that the handle 3| will be locked against any possible rocking movement, as such would be prevented by the abutting contact of the two said stud screws. It is a novel feature of my invention that said adjustable flow control and locking means is attached to, within and inaccessibly, normally, out of manipulation reach when the handle is in place as illustrated. In other words, the handle hides the said control adjustment, and said handle must be removed, by unscrewing of it from its knuckle, before an adjustment can be made. The size or the valve opening or gap between lower diaphragm edge v 43 and the floor of the chamber will be seen to be directly proportional to the size of the space 80 between studs 11 and 24, which latter controls the possible amount of rocking operation of the handle. The spring normally holds the valve in closed position.

An important feature of my invention is to be noted, namely, the feature that only a single member need be operably disconnected to make a I r 2,649,276 a r g my valve assembly accessible for cleaning. That single member is the clamp washer It. When I6 is turned radially, to disconnect the fingers from under flange l8, that washer l6, and the entire inner valve assembly 3l-l5-30l9 and diaphragm [3 are then capable of being lifted out of the chamber as a unit. As a result thereof, my valve meets therequirements of health and pure food laws and rules when my valve is used in the food and beverage dispensing fields, which is one of the main uses of my valve. Those requirements necessitate that a valve must be easily, and readily disassembled for easy cleaning. To clean myvalve, when so disassembled as a unit, just explained, there is only one part to be cleaned, namely the under side of the T-shaped diaphragm l3, or the part thereof a which contacts the liquid within the chamber,

along with the interior of the chamber l I. That can be accomplished in a matter of a few seconds, in the case of my novel valve assembly, by any inexperienced clerk. Further, no wrenches or tools are necessitated to be able to disassemble my valve, due to the novel clamping arrangement I employ. Simply a radial turning of the clamp washer IS accomplishes assembly, or disassembly, as the case may be, as explained. That novel clamping means of holding my valve together is to be noted as a single member. The simplicity of my construction is an important part of my invention. My clamping washer is adapted to be operated by the operator grasping and turning it with his or her fingers, without the need of any tools. Most all valves in use today, so far as known by applicant, require the use of tools to assemble and disassemble, and also require connection or disconnection, as the case may be, at a plurality of points or members. I provide the hole 40a of slightly smaller diameter than the diameter of the lower plunger leg portion GI, and as a result the leg portion 40 of the diaphragm adheres of its own tenacity in place thereon. However, should it be necessary to remove or replace the diaphragm, same may be easily accomplished without the need of any tools.

I accomplish a direct diaphragm valve seal in cooperation with a spring, and with flow control and locking means.

As many changes and modifications may be made in the preferred embodiments of my invention shown and described without departing from the scope or spirit of this invention, I wish to be bound only by the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. The combination with a plunger valve having a slidably operable plunger, a single diaphragm associated therewith, rockably operable handle means for actuating the plunger into and out of closed valve position, said handle having an accessible hollow portion, and tension means associated with the plunger for normally holding the plunger and diaphragm in closed valve position, of adjustable valve flow control means positioned within the hollow portion of the handle and hidden from view and being associated with the plunger for controlling the flow possible through the valve by limiting the extent of plunger operation possible, and said flow control means also comprising closed valve locking means in a certain adjustment of the control means for entirely preventing any flow through the valve by preventing any plunger operation.

2. The combination with a plunger valve having a slidably operable plunger, a diaphragm associated therewith, a separable rockable handle means extending in longitudinal alignment with the plunger for actuating the plunger into and out of closed valve position, and tension means associated with the plunger for normally holding the plunger and. diaphragm in closed valve position, of adjustable valve flow control screw means secured. to and within the handle for controlling the possible extent of handle rocking and thereby controllin the possible extent of plunger operation for controlling thereby the maximum flow output possible through the valve during open valve position, said flow control means also comprising closed valve locking means in a certain adjustment thereof for locking the handle in longitudinal alignment with the plunger and entirely preventing any rocking movement of the handle and any movement of the plunger and diaphragm when the plunger and diaphragm are in closed valve position, said screw means being adapted for adjustment thereof in longitudinal alignment with the handle means.

3. In a plunger valve of the class described, in combination, a valve chamber having an inlet,

a downwardly slanting cone-like floor below the inlet and a central outlet in that floor, a slidably operable plunger mounted in the chamber and positioned for plunger operation in alignment with the outlet, a substantially cross sectionally T-shaped flexible diaphragm valve member having an extended top flange portion and a bottom leg portion and "mounted with its leg portion connected with the one end of the plunger adjacent the chamber outlet and adapted to have the bottom of said leg portion engagingly seal around said outlet but only a'g'ainst'sai'd floor, said diaphragm leg portion bottom surface being vertically cross-s'ectionally formed concave for effecting said seal, tension means associated with the plunger for normally holding the plunger in said diaphragm sealing position on said outlet, means for sealing the top flange portion of the diaphragm fixedly in the chamber and positioned in the chamber to permit flow from the inlet to occur between that flange portion and the said leg seal oi the outlet, manually operable rockable handle means associated with the other end of the plunger and adapted upon a'rocking thereof to lift the plunger and its leg portion of the diaphragm from outlet valve sealing position against the tension of the tension means, said handle means comprising knuckle means positioned in association with the chamber'and the other end of the plunger forpulli-ng the plunger against the tension means upon a rocking ofthe knuckle and a handle member removably secured to the knuckle so as to leave *as'pa'ce on the inside of the knuckle and between that other end of the V plunger and the end of the handle member attached to the knuckle, and adjustable flow control means associated with said handle member for regulating the flow possible from said outlet and being positioned within said space within said knuckle, whereby adjustment of the flow control means within said space regulates the ex- I tent of possible plunger operation upon a rocking of the handle means, by regulating the limit of 7 possible plunger movement and thereby the limit of the space between the periphery of the diaphragm concave lower edge and the adjacent surface of the slanting chamber floor for thereby controlling the flow quantity output possible for flow from the outlet upon said handle operation 1 of the valve, said regulation controlling the amount of space within said knuckle and between 6 the end of the handle member and that adjacent end of the plunger.

4. A plunger diaphragm valve combination as claimed in preceding claim number 3, and characterized further by the definition of said flow control means comprising adjustable screw means secured to and carried entirely within the handle means, and said adjustable screw flow control means also comprising means for locking the valve in diaphragm sealed position, for preventing any rocking-of the handle means and plunger movement from lifting the diaphragm sealed condition from the outlet, when said screw flow control means is adjusted by being screw threadedly extended the length of the space between the handle member and the adjacent end of the plunger within the knuckle for thereby preventing any movement of the handle.

5. The combination with a valve having a hollow rockable handle, a slidably operable plunger actuated by said handle rocking and normally held in one direction by tension means and having a single diaphragm valve means, of adjustable flow control means and valve locking'means combined, comprising complementary abuttable screw stop means in association with the slidable plunger for limiting operation of the plunger, said means being positioned entirely within said handle.

6. The combination with a valve having'a slidably operable plunger, and asingle T-shape'd diaphragm carried by and operable by the plunger, of flow control means associated with the operable portion of the plunger and comprising a pair of complementary abuttable stop members, one of said stops being adjustable with relation to the other, a hollow handle adapted for operating said plunger, one of said stops being carried entirely by said handle and within said hollow inside portion thereof, and said flow control means also comprising valve locking means in a certain adjustment thereof for preventing any plunger-diaphragm operation in either direction.

7. In a valve having a chamber with an outlet having an adjacentshoulder downwardly and inwardly slanting as a cone to the outlet and a slidably operable plunger associated therewith, a single T-shaped diaphragm with its lowermost leg portion being adapted for resting on said slanting shoulder adjacent the outlet upon plunger operation in one direction and having one portion connected with the plunger and another portion connected with the chamber, and the lowermost bottom'surface of the diaphragm leg being formed of vertical cross-sectional concave shape with the periphery of said concave surface being adapted to effect sealing contact with said slanting shoulder portion.

8. In combination, a plunger valve assembly comprising only two unitary parts removably associated together; one of said parts consisting of a cup-like valve chamber having an inlet and a funnel-like floor with a central outlet, and a rabbet seat adjacent the peripheral edge of the cup chamber and having a ledge extending from said seat; the other of said parts consisting of a bell-like member adapted to have its peripheral open edge rest on said rabbet seat with the open part of the bell opposing the open part of the cup chamber, a plunger having two portions and being operable in said bell as its housing, a single T-shaped stretchable diaphragm having its leg of the T removably secured to and carried by one of said plunger portions without any transverse external leg support, means for effecting such securement of the diaphragm leg to said plunger portion, and'the cross-flange of the T diaphragm being adapted to be clampingly held by and between said rabbet seat and said peripheral open edge of the bell member, an opening formed in the center top of the bell and being adapted to permit the other portion of the plunger to operate therethrough, an operable handle removably connected with the other portion of the plunger extending through said opening and positioned externally of the bell and adapted for effecting plunger operation against the tension of a tension means, tension means associated with said other plunger portion within the bell and adapted for normally resisting plunger operation in one direction, the extreme end of the leg of the diaphragm opposite its cross-flange being in a plane parallel with said flange and said end being formed convex from the under side in longitudinal cross-section of said leg, said convex end surface being adapted to effect a circular sealing thereby over said outlet and without contacting the outlet by effecting said sealing against the floor portion of the chamber adjacent but spaced from said outlet; and slidably removable clamping means associated with said extended ledge of the cup chamber and the peripheral open edge of the belllike member adapted for clampingly holding the cross-flange of the diaphragm there-between and also for securing the one of the chamber and the bell to the other thereof; whereby, when said chamber and bell parts are so secured together, said tension means normally causes the plunger leg convex surface circular edge to spreadingly seal off said outlet by exerting pressure through the plunger and causing said circular edge thereof to press against said chamber floor around and without contacting the outlet; and said slidably operable clamping means com prises a single means for holding said two unitary parts of the valve removably together for operative use of the valve, and also said clamping meanscomprises a single means for effecting disassembly of the valve into said two unitary parts for required occasional cleaning of said two unitary parts; said bell member, handle, plunger, diaphragm and tension means, comprising the second unitary part, comprising a separate connected unit, capable of insertion as a unit into the chamber and of removal as a unit from the chamber for ready cleaning access to the valve chamber interior and under the liquid contacting side of the T-diaphragm, and when said unit is removed from the chamber the entire contents of the chamber will automatically drain through said outlet.

9. In an article of the class described, in com- .bination, a cup-like valve chamber having an inlet opening in the side thereof, a downwardly slanting funnel-like floor, and a central opening extending downwardly from said floor; a rockable handle; a plunger in the chamber over the outlet opening and being adapted to be actuated by the handle; a single T-shaped flexible diaphragm having a leg portion and a cross-bar portion and with the leg portion thereof being free of any external support and with the crossbar portion defining the upper wall of the chamber; means for effecting a sealing of the crossbar portion to the upper rim of the cup-like chamber; the leg portion of the T-diaphragm being larger in diameter than said outlet opening and being secured to the lower end of said plunger; means for so securing the leg portion to the lower end of the plunger; the bottom surface of the leg portion of said T-diaphragm being vertically cross-sectionally concave with a substantially sharply defined flexible peripheral edge there-around extending downwardly from the concave portion; said peripheral edge being adapted to spreadingly seat only against the downwardly slanting funnel-like floor, without any portion thereof being in the extended vertical alignment over the outlet opening, for effecting a valve seal, between said downwardly slanting floor and said peripheral edge, for preventing the contents of the chamber from entering said outlet, upon plunger actuated movement of the leg of the diaphragm in direction toward said floor with said edge so seated; and tension means associated with the plunger for normally so effecting said valve seal.

THOMAS L. TITUS.

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